Aircraft pickup and towing apparatus



Feb, 19, 1946. A. G. DEAN 2,395,172

! AIRCRAFT PICK-UP AND TOWING APPARATUS Filed Oct} 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Alberc G. Dean.

Feb. 19, mm. A G, DEAN A 239mm AIRCRAFT PICK-UP AND TOWING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Albert C: Dean.

ATTORNEY Wotente CRAFT PHEKJJEP AND TUWG APIWlPLATUQ Albert G. Dean, Narherth, Fe, essignor to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing fiomnnny, Philadeh olita, Pa, a corporation oi i erunsylvahia Application Uotober 25, lllelll, Serial No. %,508

8 lillaims. (till. Edi-3) This invention relates to aircraft nich -up end shaft so os to heireely rotatable when desired. towing e paratus and method and has for an obbut is provided with a brake tor applying any deiect the provision of improvements in this art. sired resistance to the passage of the cable. The

The invention will be discussed in connection pulley may have-a lI-shaped groove in which the with the pick-up and towing of a glider by a pow- 5 cable wedges to avoid tree slippage of the coble ered airplane in flight; hut it will be understood past the pulley when the brake is applied. Tl'iere that the invention may have other uses. may also be enclosing and pressing means tor the One of the objects of the invention is to pro cable on or adjacent the pulley, such for eiinmple tide for the pick-up of a glider from a position oi es the clamping device it operoted by the hand.

rest by a powered airplane in ii ght without 1121- o lever it. Any other suitable arrangement for redue shock to either airplane or glider or the tow sisting the movement of the cable past the pulley the cable and without undue loss of speed of the may he used it desired. The pilot oi the Lslider airplane. will have control of this action. This mechanism the towing or towed cratt.

no h r object i t p ov de e f t ve Dick-up also provides release from the towing cable at the apparatus without adding undue weight to either is desired time. The action oi the apparatus is as follows: With Another object is to place the shock-absorbing the parts arranged as in Fig. l, the power airmechun sm on the ro d Wh re it y be as plane it flies forward at the proper location and h vy n c liv as d i d Witho t adding to it hook it engages the lop it of the towing cable the Wei ht f either he towing or towed airplane. go it. It tslzes the looo'from the towers i2 and pulls The above and other ob e ts M d advantages of thecahle taut over the pulley ill in the glider, the the invention will be evident from he f l wi pulley at this time being released for free rots.-

description of an illustrative embodiment of the iron, Th first hock of setting the glider into invention, eferen being made to the accommotion is taken in the shock-absorbing mechapc y ng drawings, where n: g5 nlsm ill. The powered airplane and the glider Fi 1 i b fi li elevation of the apparatus they also be provided with shock-absorbing mechimmedlatelybel ore pick-up; anism, but the major shock is taken by the ground 2 s S m ar V ew Shortly after D D; mechanism. When the movement oi the shock- Fig. 3 is a similar view at an intermediate stage; absorbing ha i -ha b take up, a in i is a similar view at the time the sli r Fig. 2, the slider has been accelerated to approxibrc k i s ground n n mately half the speed of the powered airplane due Fi 5 is an enlarged i w f h lowed plane to the cable and pulley arrangement. qOi course, and associated ground equipment; and the pay-out mechanism in the powered airplane 6 is a t e e e d nt atio of may have altered this situation and may continue traction mechanism on the towed plane. to alter it, but the present interest is largely in the A glider it is shown in Fig. l in a position of apparatus herein illustrated. rest on a runway ll adjacent cable 1 p D D Alter the first shock and acceleration of starttowers it convenientto a power d airplane it in the have passed, the glider pilot begins to brake fl t. The h it of the powere irplane the passage of the cable and increase the glider movesin a po ition to eng ge the loop it of atowspeed. This continues until when the glider ing cable to which passes over a pulley l! in the reaches the shock-absorbing mechanism and nose of the glider and extends thence forward pulls the bottom cable loop oil the heel: ill, the along the runway to shock-absorbing mechanism slider will have the same speed as the powered it in the runway. towing airplane. I

The cable it is attached to an open-front hook The part of the 'tow cable below the glider it oi the shock-absorbing mechanism it so as to pulley which is left extended when the glider bebe released as the glider passes thereover; and comes directly connected with the towing airplane the shock-absorbing mechanism itself may coinislater taken up by easing up on the bralte or prise a long coil spring in and any suitable dampclamp. The clamp 25 forms a secure anchorage the or check means 21. for the cable while the glider is being towed. The hook It of the powered airplane may be However, it is such as to permit intentional reattached to a, cable carried on a reel or other suitlease of the cable when the glider is to be sepaable mechanism. (not shown) for paying oil or rated from the towing craft.

taking up the cable. The apperatus provides for a gradual accelera- The pulley II in the glider is mounted on a tion of the towed craft by the towing craft from provided with a pick-up hook and a towed either the towing or towed craft.

While one embodiment has been described to illustrate the principles oi the invention, it is.

to be understood that there may be various embodiments within the limits oi the prior art and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Pick-up and towing apparatus comprising in combination with a towing craft in flight amid;

cra at rest, a towing cable having an end loop supported in the path oi the hook carried by the towing craft, shock-absorbing mechanism secured at a fixed position as on the ground to which the other end of the cable is attached, said cable having an end loop detachably secured to said shock-absorbing mechanism, a pulley on said towed craft over which a bight of said cable passes, and means for snubbing and finally halting the movement of the cable in its passage over said pulley.

- 2. Pick-up and towing apparatus comprising in combination with a towing craft and a towed crait headed in the same direction, a towing cable which is caught by the towing craft at one end and thereafter held by the towing craft to tow the towed craft, the cable being held releasably at its other end by a relatively fixed anchorage ahead of the towed craft, the intermediate portion of the cable passing in a bight around a guide device on the towed craft to give initially.

to the towed craft a smaller speed and distance travel than that of the towing craft, and finally a speed equal to that of the towing craft, and

,means on the towed craft to hold the cable for direct connection to the towing craft after the towed craft has attained the same speed as the towing craft.

3. Pick-up and towing apparatus comprising in combination with a towing craft and a towed craft headed in the same direction, a towing cable attached at one end to and retained by the towing craft, at the other end the cable being releasably attached to a relatively fixed anchorage ahead of the towed craft, and the cable intermediate its ends passing in a bight about a guide on the towed craft to give initially to the towed craft a smaller speed and distance travel than that of the towing craft and finally a speed equal to that of the towing craft, means on the towed crait'to hold the cable for direct connection to the towing craft after the'towed craft has attained the same speed as the towing craft, and.

shock-absorbing means provided for the cable to ease the shock of starting, the towed craft into motion.

a. Pick-up and towing apparatus comprising in combination with a towing craft and a towed craft headed in the same direction, a towing cable attached at one end to and retained by the towing craft, at the other end the cable being releasably attached to a relatively fixed anchorage ahead of the towed craft, and the cable intermediate its ends passing in a bight about a guide on the towed craft to give initially to the towed craft a smaller speed and distance travel than that oithe towing craft and finally a speed equal to that of the towing craft, means on the towed craft to hold the cable for direct connection to the towing craft after the towed craft has attained the same speed as the towing craft, and

aeoa ra shock-absorbing means providedior the cable to ease the shock of starting the towed crait into motion, said shoclnabsorbing means being provided on the relatively fined anchorage.

5. Pick-up and towing apparatus comprising in combination with a towing craft and a towed craft headed in the same direction, a towing cable attached at one end to and retained by the towing craft, at the other end the cable being releasably attached to a relatively fixed anchorage ahead of the to'wed craft, and the cable intermediate its ends passing in a bight about a guide on the towed craft to give initially to'the towed craft a smaller speed and distance travel than that of the towing craft and finally a speed equal to that of the towing craft, means on the towed craft to hold the cable for direct connection to the towing craft after the towed craft has attained the same speed as the towing craft, shock-absorbing means provided for the cable to ease the shock of starting the towed craft into motion, and means for altering the travel of the cable over the guide device on the towed craft to increase the speed of the towed craft relative to the towing craft, and finally to bring it up to the same speed as the towing craft for continued travel thereafter.

6. Pick-up and towing apparatus for a towing craft and a towed craft headed in the same direction of travel, a towing cable secured at one end to the towing craft, secured at the other end to a relatively fixed anchorage in front of the towed craft when it is in initial position, and the cable passing rearwardly in a loop from the towing craft and the anchorage to the towed craft, a device on the towed craft over which the loop'of the cable passes, and means on'the towed crait for snubbing and finally stopping the passage of the cable past said device, whereby, the towed craft is initially moved at a speed about half that of the towing craft and thereafter is moved at a relatively increasing speed until it finally attains a speed equal to that 0! the towing craft and thereafter continues to move with the towing craft and at the same speed thereof.

7. The method of picking up a towed craft by a towing craft having forward movement relative thereto and in the same direction by a cable having a suspended pick-up loop at one end, a bend over a member on the towed craft, and a loop at the other end releasably connected to a relatlvely fixed shock-absorbing mechanism at a distance in front of said towed craft when in initial mechanism and picks up the releasable second end of the cable it is traveling at approximately the full speed of the towing craft, and thereafter halting the passage of the cable relative to the towed craft so that the towed craft travels at the full speed of the towing craft.

8. The method of picking up a towed craft by a towing craft headed in the same direction by the use of a cable having a blght passing over a brake-equipped guide on the towed craft, one end of the cable being suspended in position to be caught by the towing craft and the other end of the cable being releasably secured to a relatively fixed anchorage in front of the towed craft when in initial position, and the cable being assoelated with shock-absorbing means. which method comprises, ensuing the first end of the cable with the moving towing craft while leaving the pulley in the towed craft free for movement whereby to start the towed craft into movement 5 at a reduced speed relative to the speed oi the towing crait, then gradually increasing the reslstance to movement oi) the cable in the guide on the towed craft until all movement is halted, whereby to cause the towed craft to travel at the same speed as the towing craft before the second end oi the cable is released from the fixed anchorage.

ALBERT G. DEAN. 

